Foreign ownership of agricultural land in the United States increased by 1.58 million acres from 2022 to 2023, driven primarily by the expansion of renewable energy projects across the country. According to a new analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Daniel Munch, 45.58 million acres of U.S. agricultural land (or 3.61% of total privately […]
Politics
Trump EPA, Interior Secretary Hearings Begin This Week
UPDATE: Reuters is now reporting that “the U.S. Senate energy panel said on Monday the nomination hearing for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of the interior, Doug Burgum, will take place on Thursday instead of Tuesday, blaming a ‘bureaucratic delay’ with a federal ethics office.” ―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher, Steve Davies, Oliver Ward, and […]
Trump Won’t Rule Out Military Action to Take Panama Canal
The Hill’s Alex Gangitano reported Tuesday that “President-elect Trump on Tuesday refused to commit to not using the U.S. military to gain control of the Panama Canal, after vowing last month to take over operation of the key passageway.” “Trump was questioned during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago about his recently targeting the canal as […]
Budget Reconciliation Likely to Include SNAP
Politico’s Gregory Svirnovskiy reported that “newly reelected House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday highlighted his and President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to pass one ‘big, beautiful’ budget reconciliation package through Congress and said he aims to have it on Trump’s desk by the end of April.” “‘Everything’s got to move in the right sequence. And along the […]
New Farm Bill Top of Mind as 119th Congress Begins
American Ag Network’s Jesse Allen reported Thursday that Sam Kieffer, Vice President of Public Policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said that “once the new Congress is sworn in (today) on January 3, they’ve got to get to work right away. ‘They need to get back to the business of doing a Farm Bill.’” […]
Jimmy Carter, Former Peanut Farmer and President, Dies
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher reported Sunday that “Jimmy Carter, the former president and statesman who died Sunday at 100, was famously proud of being a peanut farmer and is being remembered for working to address food insecurity through modern farming practices and technology, and for giving time to help his old industry.” Reuters’ Will Dunham reported […]
Trump Threatens to Take Back Panama Canal
Reuters’ Gram Slattery reported Sunday that “President-elect Donald Trump threatened to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal on Sunday, accusing Panama of charging excessive rates to use the Central American passage and drawing a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.” “Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Arizona, Trump also said he […]
Ag Aid Remains in Limbo as Government Shutdown Looms
The Hill’s Emily Brooks, Al Weaver and Mychael Schnell reported late Thursday evening that “Congress is racing toward a shutdown at the end of the day Friday, and Republicans appear no closer to finding a path forward that will keep the lights on and appease President-elect Trump.” “The latest setback roiled the House on Thursday […]
Federal Funding Bill Collapses, Putting Ag Aid at Risk
UPDATE: On Thursday morning, Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill and Olivia Beavers reported that “Speaker Mike Johnson and Donald Trump’s team are circling a new federal funding stopgap plan that includes disaster aid, pushing off a debt limit fight for two years and a one-year farm bill extension, according to two Republicans familiar with the discussions. […]
Angie Craig to Lead House Ag Democrats
Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill, Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz reported Tuesday that “Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) will lead Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee in the next Congress after winning a caucus vote Tuesday.” “Craig, 52, beat out Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), 72, for the role by a vote of 121 to 91, according to […]
Government Funding Bill to Include Ag Economic Aid, Sources Say
Politico’s Katherine Tully-McManus, Jennifer Scholtes and Meredith Lee Hill reported Monday evening that “top lawmakers were still negotiating the final details Monday night of a stopgap spending patch tied to a slew of other last-ditch priorities as Friday’s federal government shutdown deadline grows closer.” “While negotiations on the funding patch itself are resolved, disputes continue […]
Ag Market Aid Talks Reach Stalemate in Congress
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher reported over the weekend that “negotiations over a package of market relief assistance for farmers reached an impasse Saturday after Democratic leaders rejected the latest GOP proposal, and several major farm groups called on lawmakers to oppose a stopgap spending bill if the economic aid is omitted.” “The Republican proposal failed to […]
Trump Picks Pesticide Critic Makary as FDA Commissioner
Agri-Pulse’s Steve Davies reported at the end of November that “Marty Makary, a highly acclaimed surgeon who is an outspoken critic of the U.S. food system, the use of pesticides, and of COVID-19 vaccine mandates, was selected by President-elect Donald Trump on Friday as the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.” “Marty Makary, […]
Farm Bill Extension a Priority as Congress Returns
Progressive Farmer’s Chris Clayton reported Monday that “Congress returns this week facing a Dec. 20 deadline to approve a new funding resolution to keep the government operating, as well as potentially pass a disaster package and a farm-bill extension before wrapping up the year.” “Lawmakers will be negotiating the funding and provisions of a disaster […]
Trump Picks Brooke Rollins for Ag Secretary
Reuters reported Sunday that “U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be agriculture secretary.” “‘As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country,’ Trump said in a statement,” Reuters reported. “If confirmed […]
Ag Industry Groups Concerned Over Deportation Plans
Bloomberg’s Kim Chipman, Joe Mathieu, and Tarso Veloso reported Tuesday that “President-Elect Donald Trump’s threat of mass deportations risks hurting the domestic agriculture sector already struggling with labor shortages.” “That’s according to Matt Carstens, chief executive officer of Iowa’s biggest farm cooperative, who said Trump’s plan should be approached carefully. Farming would be one of […]
Ag Committee Member John Thune Elected Senate Majority Leader
Agri-Pulse’s Rebekah Alvey reported Wednesday that “Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who has a deep background in agriculture and trade policy, as the chamber’s next majority leader.” “Thune is a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the Finance Committee, which handles tax and trade policy, and currently holds […]
Zeldin Picked to Lead EPA, Lighthizer Not Asked to Tackle Trade
NPR’s Elena Moore reported Monday that “President-elect Donald Trump has tapped former New York congressman Lee Zeldin to run the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The nomination for EPA administrator will need confirmation from the Senate, where Republicans are poised to hold a majority of seats next term.” “‘[Zeldin] will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions […]
Two Ag Committee Incumbents Lose, Many Races Remain Undecided
The House and Senate Agriculture Committees will see changes to membership this upcoming legislative session after at least two incumbent committee members, New York Representative Marcus Molinaro and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, were not re-elected. As of 8 a.m. EST Thursday, those races are the only current losses for incumbents on either the House or […]
House & Senate Ag Committee Shakeups Likely in Today’s Election
As Americans head to the polls today for election day, “one-fourth of the members of the House Agriculture Committee are in tight re-election races, according to political handicappers, a factor in the likely upheaval of the committee roster in 2025,” Successful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reports. “Turnover is a fact of life on the committee — […]